ARTIST OF THE MONTH: PARIS HING
October 1, 2026
Written by Olivia Elizabeth
Photos by Jena Seng
OCTOBER’S ARTIST OF THE MONTH, PARIS HING, SAT DOWN WITH US TO TALK ALL THINGS SONGWRITING, CREATIVE OUTLETS, AND NOT BEING AFRAID TO SPEAK HER TRUTH. Growing up in San Francisco, CA, Paris knew from her early beginnings that she wanted a career in music, but being on the quieter side, becoming a popstar was not always on her radar. Eventually, Paris decided she had something to share with the world that was worth working through her stage fright. Although she still gets nervous from time to time, seeing the dancing crowd is all she needs to overcome her fear. From her first time in a recording studio in 8th grade to her upcoming Boston show on October 3rd, Paris makes it a point to share her story, and maybe yours too, through her music.
PETTY: Being from a big and influential city like San Francisco, how has that impacted or inspired your sound/music?
HING: Growing up in San Francisco, I was constantly surrounded by music and artistic people. The radio was always on in my household, my PreK-8 had a mandatory daily hour of choir singing time, there were colorful murals in every neighborhood and unique self-expression everywhere I looked. Being raised with the idea that art and creativity is important in the world definitely inspired me to follow my heart and dreams to pursue a career in music.
PETTY: What is your earliest memory of wanting to get into music?
HING: In the 8th grade, I had the opportunity to record with my music teacher’s jazz band at a local recording studio to feature on their album. Though music had always been present throughout my life, to step into a professional recording studio for the first time was an eye-opening experience. I remember being amazed at the variety of equipment in the studio and thinking to myself in the moment that being in that space just felt right. I already had a love for music but this day spent in the recording studio definitely sparked the dream to become more serious about it.
PETTY: What does your songwriting process look like?
HING: My songwriting process is a bit different for every song but it usually starts with a core emotion I want to convey, along with a lyrical concept. When I’m writing alone, I start the song on piano most of the time, messing around to find a chord progression that resonates with the song I’m wanting to write. One aspect of lyric writing that is super important to me is having a strong, clear story concept that develops throughout the song. I narrow my ideas down and pick what I want the main message of the song to be, then write all the lyrics based around it.
My songs tend to be less metaphor heavy and more straightforward lyrically because I’m a very “say it like you mean it” type of person. After planning out what each song section is going to contain, I start brainstorming melodies over the chord progression I chose. Once I find a melody I like, I’ll put lyrics to it and go section by section until the full song is written. After I’m happy with the structure and first draft of the song, I’ll move into the production stage, changing the instrumentation and adding new production elements.
PETTY: You mentioned you play the piano, how does incorporating an instrument aid the songwriting process?
HING: Piano has been my main instrument I write on and is very present in my creative process. It’s been super helpful when it comes to production as well since MIDI controls in most DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) are based on the layout of the keyboard so knowing my way around a piano has made the writing and production process a lot faster because I’m spending less time having to think about what notes and chords would sound good.
PETTY: What, or who, is the inspiration behind your music?
HING: Inspiration for my song concepts mostly come from my real life experiences, whether that’s in my own relationships and interactions with people or a friend’s situation that I’m witnessing. Songwriting has been a really helpful tool for expressing myself and my thoughts about what goes on in my life so I’m often inspired by my friends, family, and the people around me.
As an artist, a few of my creative influences for my music include Tate McRae, Gracie Abrams, Madison Beer, and Julia Michaels. I also find myself feeling super inspired after seeing live music and collaborating with other talented musicians. Consuming and studying art from other creatives always motivates me to keep working hard and improving my craft as a songwriter and artist.
PETTY: Is songwriting how you process an event immediately after it happens, or is a song something that comes after you process?
HING: For the past 6 years, songwriting has become a form of therapy for me and an essential step when I’m processing a situation. I sometimes struggle to understand how I feel about something right after it happens, so putting my thoughts down onto a page helps a lot. I don’t waste much time starting to write about something that has recently affected me, but it doesn’t mean the song gets written quickly. Because I get very vulnerable in my songs and write about situations that are significant to me, I like to take my time getting the lyrics perfect, choosing my words carefully in order to express myself correctly. There is something very special about an artist meaning every word they say and singing what they believe. Vulnerability and authenticity is what makes an artist so relatable, because it's just real.
PETTY: Do you ever have a hard time being so vulnerable in your music? How do you handle what people close to you might think after hearing your side of a situation?
HING: Since I use songwriting as a way to express my emotions and feelings, my songs often end up being super personal. It can totally be nerve racking at times knowing that I’m pouring my soul into a song that people will inevitably hear and analyze, but I make music for me and never worry about outside opinions during the writing process. That anxiety comes later when the song is done and coming out to the world. I’ve had a few times where I’ve written a song about a person and they are very aware that it’s about them. I feel like that should make me more uncomfortable than it does but honestly I find it way easier to send messages in my songs than saying it to them in a conversation.
PETTY: Between your first single "Gray" coming out in 2020 to your latest single, how have you and your music evolved over time?
HING: Since dropping my first single in my sophomore year of high school, I’ve grown so much as a person and a musician. One thing that’s changed drastically for me is my confidence level, in general and as an artist. Though I started learning how to write songs and produce in high school, I was obviously very far from where I wanted to be skill-wise. After high school I spent some time abroad, studying songwriting at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance in west London, then attending Berklee College of Music. Getting my music education and continually learning new skills has drastically improved my music and you can definitely hear a huge difference between my recent releases and my first works.
Growing up, I was a little shy and struggled with being outspoken. Songwriting and releasing music has given me a voice and a platform to say things I normally wouldn’t. In the process of figuring out who I want to be as an artist, I’ve also learned a lot about my identity and have become a lot more sure of who I am.
PETTY: Between performing to crowds in San Francisco to London, how have those experiences changed future performances?
HING: When I first started to make music, I was set on becoming a behind-the-scenes songwriter who primarily wrote for other artists. It was never my dream to be a popstar, playing to thousands of people. Stage freight was a huge issue for me for a while and I have a couple embarrassing memories of freezing up on stage during elementary school concerts. When I started writing original music and realized I had something I wanted to share with the world, I decided to face that fear and start getting on stage. Over the past few years I’ve started to perform more and more, from solo gigging in San Francisco at farmer’s markets, all the way to performing with a band in pubs and venues in London. It’s true that the more you do something the better you get at it, and although I still get nervous performing sometimes, it is so worth the nerves to be able to share my music to an audience and get to connect with them.
PETTY: How important do you think it is to have a way to express yourself?
HING: Having a way to express yourself is so important for your mental health. When I don’t have an outlet for my thoughts I can feel myself going insane. I used to have this bad habit of burying myself in work to distract myself from feeling things I didn’t want to be feeling (which I still practice sometimes), and would later have breakdowns because I bottled up my emotions for too long. I believe everyone should have an outlet to express their feelings and identity whether it’s writing in a journal, songwriting, visual art or fashion, talking to your friends/family or even random people on the internet, you need to have a place.
PETTY: What is the message you hope listeners take away from your music?
HING: I really strive for my music to instill confidence in my listeners. I think it’s very important for people to feel good about themselves and prioritize their happiness and wellbeing. On my recently released EP “Love To See You Lose,” the songs “no chance” and “Talk of the Town” are two of my favorite releases so far because of the songs’ messages. One practice that has boosted my self esteem is cutting contact with people that take me for granted or make me feel bad about myself. In these songs, I talk about not giving your time, energy, and even a second thought to people that want to drag you down. I hope my music can inspire others to do the same and that my songs make my listeners feel good about themselves.
PETTY: Where do you see yourself in a few years? What is the biggest lesson you have learned being a part of the music industry?
HING: After graduating from Berklee College of Music, I plan to move back to California and continue to pursue my career as a performing artist and songwriter/producer. I’m looking forward to getting in as many sessions and rooms with other passionate musicians as possible and am excited to keep making music that I love. The biggest lesson I’ve learned so far is that you can’t always be perfect and that’s okay. There will be endless ups and downs throughout my career but I’ll get up again and be alright. I’m going to continue to approach life and the music industry with an open mind, always ready to learn and grow.